In 1967, my family was going somewhere on vacation. I can't remember what we did, it might be the one to Disneyland where my sister and I threw salami on raisin bread sandwiches out the back window of the station wagon, but I do remember getting this comic for the trip. Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #46. It was a revelation. I knew then I wanted to draw like John Severin! He has had a long and varied career in comics, doing everything from science fiction to war to westerns to sword and sorcery to horror to Mad and Cracked humor mags. You name it and he's probably done it. And his style has hardly wavered. It's like he sprang full blown from day one as this amazing artist. I am truly in awe of his talents. I was exposed to his work early on without really knowing it by my uncle Stan who gave us kids Mad and Cracked magazines when he visited.
This is the cover of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #46. This is the book that started me thinking seriously about doing comic books. This is the book that put the name John Severin into my head forever.
This is one of my favorite panels from the story. The detail of the equipment, the poses and placing of the soldiers blow me away.
I also love his faces. From Two Fisted Tales #21
2 comments:
John Severin probably is one of the most underrated artists in comics ,probably his "bad luck" was to work shouldr to shoulder with other giants like wood or Toth who were more popular not necessarily more skilled ) than him ; one of my personal faves is a story from Marvel's SAVAGE TALES # 2 titled "Raid" : tortilla western at its best !
Thanks for letting us take a peek to your inluences ; very interesting !
Yep, one thing you knew if buying a comic with Severin art was that it was most definitely going to deliver the goods.
I remember the first comic I ever saw that really blew my mind was Ghost Rider #2. I was sitting at the barber shop with my step dad waiting to get my hair cut digging through all the Disney and Harvey comics layed out on the table and there underneath them all was Satan looming over a skeleton on a morotcycle with a flaming skull. What the?!! I can seriously remember my mind snapping. I actually thought I was looking at something dirty and adult because of Linda Littletree's skimpy witch woman outfit and the words "Welcome to Hell Mortal!" on the cover. Yes, at that moment I suppose that at age 7 I really did shake hands with Satan. I was obviously so engrossed in the comic that the barber even let me keep it, and I still own it to this day.
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